The Legend of Zelda: Isle of Shifters
by Courage of Awesome
Summary: Last story after Heroes and Life with the Links. The gang is back for a new adventure! After a run in with some trouble, a pregnant Willow has been separated from the others! She's now all alone and must survive in the wild with the help of some interesting people. Will she ever see her friends again? Will Link remain sane? What about the baby? Find out now! Link X OC & Dark X OC
1. Chapter 1

**(Cue Zelda treasure theme) Da, Da Da, DAH! You're reading the third installment to my series! It all started with The Legend of Zelda: Heroes, then there was The Legend of Zelda: Life with the Links, and now here it is… The Legend of Zelda: Isle of Shifters!**

**Link: It's good to be back.**

**Willow: I know. I can't wait to find out what happens to all of us.**

**Shade: Yeah, I wanna know if Willow is having a boy or a girl.**

**Dark: Hmm.**

**Anyway, we have a winner from that fanart contest. You all voted and you guys voted for K'ger's drawing! Woo! Congratulations! There was a total of 9 voters and K'ger won by one. It was 5 to 4. You'll see her character in a few chapters from now. Not sure how many, though.**

**Now, without further ado, The Legend of Zelda: Isle of Shifters. I do not own the game. Boo.**

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><p>It's been about five months since that amazingly wonderful day; the day of my marriage. A lot has happened in the time between then and now. Kyrene was blooming into its former glory thanks to my adoptive son King Jaymes. He was growing into a fine young man. And now all of us: Link, Dark, Shade, Jaymes, Princess Zelda, and myself were travelling back to Hyrule at last!<p>

Our stay in Kyrene lasted longer than expected due to unforeseeable circumstances. We had to wait for a travel boat to come from Hyrule which would've took a week or two on its own. To make matters worse, the boat had to wait three months before shipping out because of the rainy season where ocean storms were common. So now, we were all heading back to establish peace and a new alliance between Kyrene and Hyrule. Unfortunately, Jaymes wouldn't be able to stay long. He did have a new kingdom to run.

We had been on this boat for about a week now, and the constant rocking and swaying wasn't doing my stomach any favors. It was already bad enough with morning sickness (it should've been called all day sickness). It seemed I was tossing the contents of my stomach over the side of the ship at least three times a day. Two if I was lucky.

I sighed as I stared out the porthole and at the oceanic waves. I gently stroked my swelling belly. It had been become a bit of a habit now that I've finally starting showing. I was now about halfway through with the second trimester. The doctor said I should stop getting sick soon (thank the goddesses).

With a grunt of effort, I rose from my seat and headed up to the deck. I needed a little fresh air. As soon as I opened the door, I was met with the salty, sea breeze and the sounds of clashing metal. I turned in the direction of the sound and saw Jaymes facing off with Dark and Link; my husband. They did this every afternoon around three o'clock for some practice.

Smiling at the battle, I began my ascent up the small flight of stairs that led to the helm. I stared off towards the horizon, not even noticing when the fighting stopped. I suddenly felt strong arms wrap around my waist and a chin on my shoulder. I placed my hands over the ones at my waist and sighed in content.

"What are you doing, love?" Link asked me, his voice ghosting across my ear.

I breathed in the ocean air before answering. "Just thinking," I replied.

"About?"

"Everything, really. I've been reminiscing from the past five months and a little about the future too. It all seems too perfect to be perfect. Like one day I'll wake up in my world and realize it was all a dream. I'm afraid of closing my eyes for even a second. Heck, I'm surprised the goddesses haven't intervened and sent Shade and me back yet," I explained.

Link's hold on my tightened. "Don't give those three any ideas. It feels like I just got you back and I plan to keep you this time. As does Dark with Shade."

I nodded lightly. "Well, I don't plan on leaving anytime soon, so there's nothing to worry about," I smiled. A thought ghosted through my mind. "Where is Shade anyway?"

Link perked up at this, the wind ruffling his golden-brown hair, giving him an ethereal look. His cerulean eyes widened in realization. "You know, I don't know," he answered.

Chuckling softly, I shook my head. "That's never good. I suppose I'll go look for her. I've got a few ideas where she could be."

"All right. Be careful now. Oh, and meet me our cabin after you find her," my husband instructed, kissing my left temple.

I nodded and separated from him almost reluctantly, walking away. I was going to check the captain's quarters first. Shade like chatting with the captain, studying the sea chart. How she was so interested, I'd never know.

Crossing the lower deck, I made my way to the opposite side and to the door. I didn't knock before entering, but instead I just headed in. I smirked. There she was, studying the sea chart by herself. Her black hair was drooping in front of her face, the blue highlights fading out. I'd need to redo those and giver her another haircut. Hmm, how would I redo her highlights?

At that moment, a devious plan wormed its way into my mind. Silently, I began creeping up behind Shade, cringing every time a floorboard creaked or groaned. Getting right behind her, I inhaled deeply and yelled. "Skittles!"

"Ah!" Shade cried out, throwing herself under the table. Her hands were covering her head and she was shaking slightly. When she noticed she wasn't being pelted with the hard candy, she looked up at me and glared. "Willow, you jerk!"

I laughed, doubling over. I almost couldn't with my ever growing belly. "Oh, my… you should've seen… your face!" I wheezed. I was glad Shade still had that strange Skittles phobia.

"Not cool, Willow. Man, pregnancy has made you evil," my friend huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Not any more evil than what I already was or what you are now," I corrected her. She stuck her tongue out at me. "So what have you been doing in here?" I asked her, serious now.

Shade straightened up as well. "I've been studying the map, plotting how long it will take us to get to Hyrule. I'm tired of all of this water! I want to be on land! Long boat rides and me don't mix! I'm almost as nauseous as you!"

_So that's why she's been studying the sea chart. She's anxious, _I thought to myself. "Oh, hardy har-har," I mock laughed. "You think you're so funny, don't you?"

"Oh, I don't think. I know."

"Mmmhmm, yeah okay. I totally believe you," I told her. Stretching, my back popped. "Well, I have to get going and meet Link. I just came to check on you."

"Okay, thanks. See you later."

"See ya," I replied, leaving the room. As I made my way down to the cabin, I wondered what Link wanted. Did he want to show me something? Did he want to tell me something? What did he want?

Lost in my thoughts, I never noticed my arrival to our cabin. I twisted the knob and walked in, finding Link sitting in a chair, book in hand. He looked up as the door closed and smiled. "Ah, there you are," he commented. He stood up and approached me, holding out his hand.

I took the extended appendage and let Link lead me to the bed. I sat down and watched him with curious eyes. "So what did you want?" I asked him.

Link's face suddenly turned red. Walking to the desk, he grabbed something, hid it behind him, and approached me yet again. "This is going to be really cheesy," he warned me. I nodded for him to continue. Looking off to the side, Link brought out what was behind him and held it out. It appeared to be a gift. "I… uh, made something for the baby. I figured this would be okay since we don't know the gender."

I took the gift gingerly out of Link's hands and began pulling at the ribbon. The thought that Shade must have wrapped it for him crossed my mind briefly. The ribbon off, I began tearing off the paper to get to the box. Slowly, I opened the lid thinking this would be a great moment for the treasure theme song to play and have whatever was inside held up into the air.

Laying my eyes on the contents of the box, I gasped, tears springing to my eyes. A hand held up to my mouth, I reached into the box with the other and pulled out a miniature Epona model whittled from wood. The detail was astounding. I could see all the individual hairs in the mane, tail, and in the socks surround her hooves. The crest that was on the real Epona's forehead was even there! And the color was spot on, and I could tell it had been painted carefully.

"Link," I breathed out. "I-It's beautiful!"

"You really like it?! You don't think it's cheesy?" he asked, surprised.

"Of course! It's wonderful!" I exclaimed. "Where did you even learn to make carvings like this?"

"Rusl taught me a long time ago. It was something to do when I was bored." Link looked at the carving, his eyes scrutinizing every hidden mistake that I couldn't see. "I sure hope our child likes it."

I smiled softly at him. Standing up, I walked up to Link and planted a soft kiss on his lips. "They will," I spoke gently, reassuring him. "They will."

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><p>I felt sick and the rocking of the ship wasn't helping. Hurriedly, I threw off the covers and ran to port window. There wasn't exactly modern bathrooms with plumbing in this day and era, so I just hurled the contents of my stomach outside the window or in a bucket that was dumped out the window. Either way it ended up out the window.<p>

The burning sensation wouldn't fade as I continued to retch. Had I eaten something bad? It wasn't usually this bad. Pulling back from the window, I felt a warm hand on my back. I turned my head weakly and saw Link looking at me with sleepy, concerned eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked, tiredly. I nodded. Link looked up for a minute before gazing back down at me. "Would you want me to get Zelda?"

"N-No, I'm okay. I think I just ate something bad. Maybe I'll go topside to get some air," I told him.

Link nodded. "All right. Just be careful and don't take too long."

"A-All right." I smiled at my husband before I watched him get back into bed, his shoulder muscles flexing as he adjusted the blankets. I couldn't get over how lucky I was. Not only was Link smart, kind, and courageous, he was also very, very attractive… an Adonis in my mind.

I shook my head, ridding myself of my fangirlish thoughts. Rising from my spot on the floor, I made my way to the door, my cotton nightgown billowing around my legs as I walked. Maybe I really did just need some fresh air. Maybe.

Finally outside, I leaned against the deck's railing, taking in the ocean view. I could just barely see anything with the new moon out. No one else was out, except for a few crew members barely awake, managing the sails and the helm. It was nice.

Inhaling deeply, I sighed, feeling much better. "Guess I really did just need some air," I shrugged. As I was about to head back inside, something in the distance caught my eye. It was only for a moment, not even for a minute, but I was sure I saw the flicker of a flame. I strained my eyes to see, but it was just too dark and too far.

Looking around quickly, I spotted a crew member dosing against the mast's foundation. I ran up to him and shook him awake. "Hey, you. Come on, wake up!" I hissed, feeling an intense urgency.

He finally woke up. "Oi, oi! Wha's yar problem, lass! Wha's da big idea wakin' me up?!" he slurred.

"Give me your spyglass," I ordered.

"Spyglass?"

"Spyglass, telescope, whatever you call it! Just give it to me!" I said, practically yelling now.

"Fine, fine! 'Ere, just take it already!"

The object I asked for was shoved into my arms roughly. "Thanks!" I nodded, running back to the railing. I barely caught the "hormonal pregnant wench" bit that spouted from the crew member's lips.

Wasting no more time, I brought the spyglass to my eye and looked out to the horizon. There, just barely visible through the darkness and fog was a ship and it was sailing dangerously. All its light sources were extinguished. Who would sail in this kind of darkness with no light? What were they doing? I looked over the ship again and something flapping in the wind at the very top caught my attention. A black and white skull and crossbones flag!

"Pirates," I gasped. They must be trying to hide and ambush us! They might have heard about Zelda and Jaymes being on this ship! Dropping the spyglass, I ran back to the hatch that led under the deck. I tripped on my nightgown and suddenly tumbled down the stairs. I landed on my back roughly. That would hurt in the morning.

Jumping up, I sprinted all the way down to Link's and my room and threw the door open. Link shot up at the sound of the door hitting at the wall. One look at me panting and breathless sent him running to my side. He grabbed onto my arm and braced my back. "What's wrong?! What is it?!" he questioned frantically.

"P-P-Pah!" I gasped. "Pirates!"

Link's eyes widened. He rushed to the cupboard against the wall and flung it open. Inside were our swords and shields. He grabbed his set and strapped them on, not even bothering to put on his chainmail and tunic. He pulled on his boots quickly and readjusted his pants before running back to the door. "Stay here," he ordered me.

"But…"

"No, stay here," he snapped, his eyes flashing silver. "I can't risk losing you, so stay!" He ran off without another word, shutting the door behind him.

I groaned and sat down on the bed. _Should I listen to him or follow him?_ I asked myself. One side of me said to stay, the other said to follow. The latter won. I strapped on my own sword and shield and went to the door. It felt good to have the familiar weight of my own chosen Master Sword against my back.

I reached for the knob and turned it before pushing the door open… only it didn't open. I pushed on the door harder, grunting. Managing to get it open a crack, I peeked outside the room and saw a bunch of furniture pushed against the door. "Dammit!" I swore. "He just had to barricade the door!" I rammed my shoulder against the door again. I was getting nowhere fast and it would take forever to bust down the door.

I jumped up in fear as the ship suddenly shook, a loud boom echoing out. The pirate ship must have rammed into us. The sound of fighting drifted down from the upper deck. I needed to think of something and fast!

A thought came to me like a sudden storm. And as if on cue, thunder and lightning erupted across the sky. Walking to the port window, I put my arms out near my belly and then the window itself. I would just barely fit through. Jumping up, I pulled myself up to the window and halfway through it. I was, as expected, hit in the face with rain. Looking up the side of ship, I huffed. This would be harder than usual since I was pregnant, but I had to do it.

I grabbed onto part of the ship and swung the rest of my body out of the window. I grunted at the force of my body pulling me down. Gritting my teeth in perseverance, I began to climb. One arm and leg after another, I climbed. Sweat and rain poured down my face as I struggled.

_Please, _I prayed. _Let me be able to do this! _With newfound determination, I continued to climb, finally reaching the top. I grabbed onto the railing and hauled myself over it and onto the deck. I panted, my vision blurry. Would I even be able to fight in my condition? I looked up and through the strands of my wet hair and saw the bloodshed unfolding between the ship's crew and the pirates. _Yes, I have to. I must fight! _

With no further thought, I leapt into the fray, drawing my sword and shield. The familiar movements of swordplay came rushing back to me in an instant as I sliced. _One, two, three, four, five, _I counted each pirate I cut down. Something hit me in the back and I turned, swinging my sword horizontally. It clashed with another sword.

"Mom?!" I heard.

Refocusing, I saw a familiar mop of red hair. "Jaymes," I noted. His hair was still in his low ponytail, though he was dressed similarly to Link with just his pants and some boots on. Acion was, of course, clutched tightly in his hands.

"What are you doing out here?! Dad said you were safe in the room! You shouldn't be fighting in your condition!" Jaymes bellowed, bringing his sword down from mine.

"I'm pregnant, Jaymes, not incapable. Besides, I need to do this. It's my duty," I explained my reasoning.

Jaymes growled in frustration, another trait he picked up from Link. "Fine, but don't overdo it!" he yelled.

I threw my sword forewords, its blade whizzing by Jaymes's arm and impaling itself into a pirate trying to sneak up on Jaymes. He fell, and I walked up to retrieve my sword. "And you don't drop your guard," I smirked.

"Right," Jaymes said, returning the smirk.

We ran off in separate directions, returning to the fight at hand. I managed to cut down a few more men before thunder boomed and lightning struck the side of the ship, setting it ablaze. The fire was spreading quickly. Seeing this, I fought more quickly. The rain wasn't going to put this out on its own after all.

In the midst of the fighting, I felt someone grab my shoulder. Spinning around, I came face to face with a… silver eyed Link? Crap!

"What are you doing?!" Link demanded, his sentence stiff and rugged. His wolf was doing all the talking. I was grabbed by my arms and brought closer to Link. He brought his nose to my neck and inhaled deeply. I felt him nip the side of my neck with elongated canines.

"I-I have to fight, Link. I have to," I said nervously.

"NO!" Link shouted in outrage, growling. He swung outward with his arm, claw tipped hands embedding themselves in someone's throat. "NO FIGHT!"

I shivered. Why was Link responding so violently? My mind flashed to something Leo, Jaymes's advisor once said. _"Well, once a pair have mated, the male usually becomes even more protective of the female," _he had said. Then another line flashed in my head_. "A male will eventually become so protective that he stays by his mate's side almost constantly, but that only happens when the mate is pupped. The pupped mate will then give off a scent that makes their mate want to stay near." _ Was Link being extra protective because I'm pregnant?

Making up my mind, I sheathed my sword, deciding to let Link have his way. "Okay, I won't fight," I said. In response, Link buried his nose back into my neck, licking the skin lightly. I was sort of enjoying the treatment when I remembered we were in a fight. My eyes widened as I saw a guy behind Link. He thrust his sword into Link's shoulder. "Link!" I yelled.

Link howled out in pain and tightened his hold on me. Blood seeped out of his shoulder rapidly. With a ferocious roar, Link slashed at the man with his claws, ending his life. I was suddenly scooped up and was flying through the air in Link's arms. We landed on a high rise of sorts and Link placed me behind some crates. "Stay," he said. "Safe." And with that he bounded off.

As the fighting continued, I became more and more worried. Not knowing what was happening was torture for me. I could practically here my heartbeat beating loudly in my ears from anticipation. Finally, I wasn't able to bear it any longer. I stood up to peer over the crates when the ship suddenly shook and rumbled, something blowing up in the lower deck.

I slipped on the wet wood of the deck and was sent skidding off the side. I screamed and grabbed onto the edge of the boat just in time. My knuckles turned white from clenching the side so hard. I looked down and saw the dark, murky water splashing and moving roughly. "Help!" I yelled out.

Link's and Shade's face suddenly appeared over the side. "Willow! Take my hand!" Shade shouted, tears of fear running down her cheeks. I noticed Jaymes and Dark behind them now.

I reached up for Shade's tanned hand, my arm stretching as far as it could go. I saw Link's hand come down too, but I just couldn't hold on any longer. My hand lost its strength and I felt myself falling. Falling into the waters below.

The last thing I heard was Link crying my name before a howl took its place. "WILLOW!"

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><p><strong>Don't hate me guys! I'm sorry! The first chapter and I already put out a cliffhanger! Please, don't kill me! If you do, I won't be able to update! Think of that!<strong>

**Anyway, I hope that chapter was exciting enough for you guys. It was so exciting, it practically wrote itself. I really hope you guys will tell me what you think in a review. (hint hint)**

**Guess what guys? I have a YouTube account! Yay! With no videos on it! Boo! Yeah, I can't show my face anyway, so until I can figure out what program to use to record what I'm playing on my computer, no videos. I'm hoping to do Let's Play's in the future, although, probably the distance future.**

**Oh, I also got the treasure theme song from Twilight Princess as my text ringtone, so now every time it rings, I look around for the chest. Ha! I'm such a loser!**

**Anywho, please rate and review on the first chapter of the last story in the series! And sorry for any grammar and spelling errors.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Another chapter so soon after the last one. Wow! I must be really inspired.**

**I had a dream the other night guys. What if this series was made into something like a flash movie? Maybe with live action or even anime style. Wouldn't that be cool?! Ah, I can dream.**

**Anyway, let's get started. For some reason I have to keep saying this. I do not own Zelda!**

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><p>I woke up in a flurry, my eyes snapping open as bile and seawater spewed from my mouth. The bitter, salty substance scratched my throat and made my lips chapped. It felt as if my stomach was turning in on itself. Finally, I stopped my vomiting and rolled over in the sand, laying down on my back.<p>

Wait. Sand? I shot up again and looked around. I was on a beach. "I survived? I survived!" I shouted. I was extremely happy, but I quickly turned somber and contemplative. Just because I had survived didn't mean the baby had. I looked down at my slightly swollen belly. I wish I could tell if my child was alright.

Slowly, I got up and walked around, trying to get the numbness in my legs to go away. I stretched and let out a loud, long exhale. "Okay, I need a plan." I looked around the sandy beach. Bits and pieces from both ships were laying in the sand as well as seaweed and some broken branches. I didn't see anything edible around. I'd have to travel inland to find food.

I huffed. At least I had my sword and shield. They were still strapped securely to my back. Now I just needed a plan of action. First things were first, though. I needed to make a memorial of some sort for all the men who lost their lives in the attack. I felt obligated to.

Gathering up a lot of the ship wreckage, I piled it up on a spot on the beach, making a pyre. I found a few crates of alcohol and poured it on the wood, it wouldn't do me any good and it was flammable. Using some flint I found and a stone, I struck a spark, sending it flying into the wood, setting it ablaze. I thought of the men in a silent prayer before gathering my bearings.

Taking in the ocean air, I breathed in deeply, heading inland. I wondered what I would find. Hopefully there would be enough game here to sustain me until help found me. I stopped in my tracks. Would they find me? Would I ever see Link again, or Shade and Dark? I cleared my head of these thoughts. Of course I would see them again! They were probably looking for me right now. But for now, I was alone.

I continued on my way, deeper into the trees I went. It appeared this island was mostly forest and I assumed this was one that laid between Hyrule and Kyrene. I surely didn't recognize it as a part of Hyrule.

During my musings, I never noticed how truly long I walked. I was deep in the forest now. My head turned in all directions, trying to find some sign of familiarity. Then I had to remind myself I was in a foreign land and that I wouldn't recognize anything anyway. Just then, something flashed out of the corner of my eye and I was drawn to it.

I had caught a glimpse of whatever it was in the bushes surrounding one of the many trees. Raking my hand through the shrubs, I searched for the mysterious item. What had I seen? My hand landed on something hard. Perplexed, I grasped the object and pulled. It was a stake painted a bright red. It almost looked like a stake that would hold down a snare.

Standing up, I gasped slightly, feeling a sting at my neck. I put my hand to the soft skin there and found a dart. I pulled it from my neck and held the head to my nose, inhaling. Poison. My eyes widened in a sudden nervousness. I wasn't alone after all. I took a step back only to have something wrap around my ankles before I was yanked up into the air. As I hung upside down, I could feel the blood rushing to my head as well as the poison.

My vision became blurry and my eyes watered. Darkness started to creep up and blot out the light penetrating my eyes. I finally drifted into unconsciousness, a pair of feet stopping before me. They were the last things I remembered.

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><p>Something was prodding me. I could feel it running up my arms and over my belly. It drew back suddenly and whined. I heard something in a language I couldn't understand. Was this a person near me?<p>

I forced my eyes to open, my eyelids heavy. Above me were a bunch of people and animals peering down at me. They looked wild with their unnatural eyes and features. I sat up quickly and scooted away from them. I looked around fearfully for a means of escape.

"Wait," a feminine voice suddenly spoke up from the crowd. I looked to see a woman with white-blonde hair step through the waves of people. She had a beaded circlet encircling her head and white feathers sticking out that almost blended in with her hair. She wore long robes made up of furs and rough leather. "Why have you come here, Hylian?" she asked stiffly.

I stared, my mouth agape. I gulped forcefully before speaking. "W-Where is here?" I asked.

The woman opened her mouth, revealing pointed teeth. "The Isle of Shifters."

"Isle of Shifters?"

The woman narrowed amber eyes at me. "Why are you here?" she asked again.

"I-I was thrown off my ship and I washed up here," I tried to explain.

"Ship? Ah, you mean the wooden parts to that creature on the beach," she realized. The woman folded her arms tightly against her chest.

Slowly, I stood up, the people and animals around me tensing. "Who exactly are you people?" I asked.

"We are a tribe of shifters who make this island their home. Who are you?" she replied.

"I'm Willow. I'm from Hyrule."

"I can see that. What are you is more like it?" she snapped, coming closer.

I backed up further, my back hitting a tree. The woman leaned in and sniffed the air around me. She grabbed me by my arm, bruising the skin. "Ow! What do you mean?!" I demanded.

The woman bared her teeth. "Thane!" she barked.

A man appeared at the woman's side in an instance. His black hair was styled in a messy Mohawk, the side of his head shaved. A few loose strands hung down in front of his face decorated in red beads. His ears were somewhat pointed, like Jaymes, but there was a small chunk missing from his left one. His eyes were an amber brown and shown with such an intense focus. It was clear these were the eyes of a warrior. Two pronounced scars made themselves known on his left cheek, just under his eye. Like the woman, his clothes were made of mostly furs and leather. He wore what was probably once a good vest, but after years of use it was tattered in some places. The pants were in the same condition.

"Hn," he grunted.

The woman spoke in a different tongue to "Thane." With another grunt from him with his right arm over his chest, the woman left. She barked out orders in that strange language to the others, and I watched them scatter. Thane just stood and watched me.

I sat back down on the ground, one arm wrapped protectively around my stomach. "So," I began. I got no reaction of recognition from Thane. "What's your story?" He didn't even look at me directly. "Can you talk? Do you understand what I'm even saying?" With no acknowledgement, I sighed. "Of course not."

"Where's… Where's your mate," Thane suddenly asked, having to start again. His voice was gruff, like he hadn't used it in a long time.

"So you do know what I'm saying," I smiled. Maybe I could convince Thane to let me go. "How did you know I was mated?"

Thane released another grunt before looking at me with those intense eyes. "You smell of him. It's strange."

"What is?" I asked. I got no answer. Thane seemed to be the kind of person to do what he wants when he wants. He was a free spirit.

A few more minutes passed before Thane spoke again. "Why hasn't your mate marked you?" he asked.

I was confused. I cocked my head to the side. "Marked? What does that mean?"

Thane turned to face me again. He gave me a questioning look. "It's a… forever thing that let's others of our kind know the woman is taken."

"Forever thing? You mean permanent?" I inquired. Thane nodded stiffly. I leaned back on the tree. "Well, my husband, my mate, wasn't raised like a shifter. He knows nothing of his heritage, really."

"He didn't abandon you?" Thane asked. I shook my head, and Thane seemed satisfied for now. That didn't last long, though. "What is he?"

"A wolf." I saw Thane tense. "What are you?"

Thane thought about it for a moment, seeming to be searching his memory. He did appear to be mostly savage at first, but he was definitely intelligent. "The humans who came here and taught us their tongue said I was a type of weasel. A fisher cat, they called it."

I chuckled and Thane glared at me. Holding up my hands in defense, I smiled. "Just caught me off guard is all. You seem more like a puma or something. Fisher cats are vicious, though. I've had run ins with them before."

Thane grunted again, but puffed out his muscular chest in pride. He seemed to like being called vicious. "Your mate must be strong," he said, messing with the fangs and claws that hung off his necklace.

I raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

Crawling towards me some, Thane extended an arm towards me and placed his hand on my stomach gently, his claws grazing the fabric of my tattered gown. "His offspring seem to be strong."

My eyes widened. "You can tell?! How is it?!" I suddenly panicked.

Thane was surprised and jumped back. He sat back down on his haunches and crossed his toned arms. "I can smell it. The pup is fine."

I sighed in relief, hugging my stomach. "Thank goodness." I looked up slightly. "Thank you, Thane, for telling me. It's a huge weight off my mind."

Thane blushed slightly, grunting before turning away. Now was my chance to ask to be let go, but before I could, a horn suddenly echoed through the forest. Thane jumped up, his shoulders tense. "The alarm," he mumbled. He turned to me. "Stay here. I'll be back." He ran off without another word.

What was going on?

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><p><strong>Kind of short but informative. What do you guys think of K'ger's character Thane. He's kind of stoic but kind. I like him.<strong>

**I have a question for you guys. Do you think I'm a good writer and should continue my series? A few weeks ago, I was told by a classmate that I wasn't a good writer. What do you guys think? **

**Anyway, I probably won't update this story until after Halloween, so happy early Halloween! Mwahahaha! Oh, and rate and review, please.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Like I promised, another update. I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. You're in for a big surprise in this chapter. Woo!**

**I do not own Zelda. So sad, but so true. I hope you enjoy it.**

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><p>As expected, I did not choose to listen to orders given to me. I was too much of a free spirit to do what I was told most of the time. So instead of listening to Thane, I chose to jump up and follow him. "Thought I told you to stay," he said as I ran up beside him.<p>

"Yeah, well, I don't listen to orders well," I shrugged. I grabbed Thane's arm and halted him. "Now what's going on?" I asked.

Thane looked around, watching his comrades run in a flurry. "We're being attacked by a rival clan. The Mountain Clan." I thought about it as Thane resumed walking. I had seen a mountain in the center of the island from the shores. "The Mountain Clan is full of what you people consider cougars, leopards, lynxes, and vultures and other vicious bird shifters. Seriously predatory species."

It didn't make sense. "How do you fight them then? I imagine most of you, give or take a few, aren't birds."

With a smirk, Thane chuckled. "Like this," he said. He leapt up into a tree and climbed up its branches with the agility and grace of a true fisher cat. Once at the top, he brought his fingers to his lips and gave a long, shrill whistle. A few seconds passed before a loud squawk followed the whistle.

A large bird suddenly swooped in low, feathers of a bright blue flying everywhere. It had a huge beak and large feet with very sharp talons. The tips of its feathers were colored with red. It was a Loftwing! "But I thought they were gone!"

The beast of a bird landed on a branch across from Thane. He nimbly made is way to the bird and ran his hand through the feathers. "Quay oi, Sessa. Quay oi," Thane spoke gently to the bird. He climbed up onto the back of the monstrous bird and grabbed a rope around it shoulders before spurring it up and onwards.

I stared in amazement as Thane maneuvered his bird with such grace. He still had his spear clutched in his right hand, his eyes narrowed and locked onto a target. I saw a huge black cloud of birds appear without much warning across the sky. Some were obviously other Loftwings with shifter riders and others were bird shifters themselves.

Another group suddenly appeared behind Thane, following him into battle. The two clouds crashed together and the sound of clashing weapons and sharp squawking jumped around. One animal after another fell from the sky, beaten and bloodied.

I took this as my cue to vamoose. Running back to where Thane had told me to stay, I hid inside one of the small huts. I'm sure no one would really mind.

"Hey!"

Or maybe they would. I turned around and saw another shifter hiding here. She was absolutely gorgeous! The beautiful shifter had long, dirty-blonde hair and deep set emerald eyes. With a small nose and fair skin, she was the definition of beauty. I briefly wondered what kind of shifter she was.

"What do you think you're doing here?!" she hissed.

I gulped lightly, looking around. "I-I, uh, was looking for a place to hide," I admitted sheepishly. "I was caught out in the battle."

The woman looked at me, then my belly. "You're that human they brought in, aren't you? I've been wanting to talk with you. Now seems like an good time to do just that."

"Actually, no. In case you forget, there's kind of a battle going on outside. You can interrogate me later," I said, ducking down behind a makeshift wall.

"Interrogate?" A look of confusion passed over the shifter's face. "What's that?"

I shook my head. _Way to go, Willow. Use a word they can't understand, _I scolded myself. The woman joined me behind the wall and kneeled beside me. She didn't seem like an enemy, but I kept my guard up around her.

"So what's your name?" she finally asked me after a moment's silence.

Looking at her pointedly, I strained my ears to see if anyone was near the hut. I didn't hear anything outside the battle, but one could never be too careful. "I'm Willow," I said, calming the shifter's growing curiosity.

"I'm Leilani. Nice to meet you."

I nodded and chose not to respond. I didn't need any more distractions. That would be the worst thing to happen at this point. One moment of my guard dropped and the next I could very well be dead or captured. And just like that, my mind wandered. I wondered if my friends were going through anything this bad. I also wondered how Link was dealing with this.

Apparently, that brief moment was enough time to get distracted and have the roof of the hut ripped off by an enemy Loftwing. Like I said before, I always needed to be on guard, and I was already doing such a great job.

I heard Leilani scream before she shifted down into a russet colored fox out of fear. So that's what she was. I continued to stare at the Loftwing in more of shock than anything else. The only reason I broke free of my trance was because of Leilani biting my ankle with her sharp fox teeth. I yelped, but picked her up and bolted out of the hut.

The Loftwing from earlier screeched and flew directly for us, the rider on his back yelling at us in that strange language. I ducked as its outstretched talons clawed at us, raking against a tree instead. I screamed and the little fox in my arm did too, but I continued to run and dodge oncoming attacks.

As I ran, I felt myself growing more and more tired. All this running couldn't be good for the baby. That's when I remembered, the Master Sword and my shield were strapped to my back. How could I have forgotten? I was just lucky the shifters didn't take them from me when I was captured. Stopping, I set Leilani down and whipped out my sword and shield, taking my fighting stance. It was a little awkward trying to work around my ever growing belly.

The Loftwing stopped before me, the rider looking confused. I motioned down to the ground with my arm, wanting a battle. If there was one thing, I knew about shifters was that they were extremely prideful and wouldn't object to a one on one battle. With a nod, the rider got down off his bird and took his weapon off of his back. It was a double tipped spear.

We began to circle each other, almost like we were dancing, only this dance was a dance of death. Whoever faltered would die for sure. I twirled my sword in my hand and quickly faked to the left, throwing my opponent off. He went to meet me, swinging his spear, slashing at nothing. As he tried to recover, I went up and kicked him, knocking him off his feet for a moment before he immediately jumped back up.

"Akoon nos trasa!" my opponent hissed.

I hesitated for a moment, out of confusion, giving my opponent the opportunity to get up. Eyes widening, I went to dodge, cringing at the stinging pain coming from my arm. The shifter's spear had grazed me. I gripped the scratched skin and noticed how the edges of the cut were turning a purplish-black color. What had been on that spear?

I felt myself becoming woozy, my vision greying and blurring. I grabbed my head with my shield hand and swayed. I forced my eyes to focus, only succeeding in giving myself a headache.

"Nam alt troph?! Ha!" my opponent laughed, once again using that strange language.

Looking down at my right hand, my Triforce blurred in front of me. I could feel the temptation to use the Fierce Deity's power, but what would the power do to the baby. I shook my head. No, I wouldn't use it. I would not risk my child's life.

Taking in a deep breath, I closed my eyes. I didn't need my eyes. After all, Hylian ears were famous for their hearing abilities. Now, it was time to put them to the test. I let myself become immersed in the sounds around me. I could hear the ocean crashing against the shores of the island, the constant cries of the warring clans, even the falling leaves. But mostly, I could hear the sound of crunching grass under the feet of the shifter slowly approaching, the gap in the wind where it hit his body, the short breaths coming from his tired form. I knew exactly what was happening.

Using my incredible hearing, I suddenly dodged to the left, hearing metal cut into the wind by my ear. I had just narrowly avoided that one. Gripping my sword tighter, I spun around slicing into the shifter's back. He screamed, and I took that time to slam the hilt into his head. Although, it took a few tries to actually hit his head since I couldn't see, admittedly.

I breathed in deeply, panting as I did so. That wore me out more than I thought it would. I opened my eyes and barfed immediately afterwards. "Ugh, what was on that stupid spear?!" I repeated aloud.

I felt cool hands grab my arms. "Shh, it's okay. I've got you. I'm just going to bring you back to camp." It was Leilani. "I just pray you don't get your sight back for a little bit or you'll see a very naked me."

I chuckled lightly. I felt Leilani start walking, leading me back to the clans camp. We must have been closer than we thought because it didn't take that long. As Leilani laid me down on a mat of some sort, I strained my ears for the sounds of fighting. It was silent.

"Don't bother," the fox shifter said. "The battle is over. We managed to drive off the Mountain Clan, it seems."

I groaned, gritting my teeth as Leilani started to clean my wounds. Oh, Willow. What have you gotten yourself into now?

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><p><strong>Sorry it was kind of short. Inspiration is lacking at the moment. Now some of you are probably wondering why Loftwings? And I would say because. I felt bad for the shifters who couldn't fly, so I started thinking. Then it came to me.<strong>

**Shifters + Transportation + Avatar + Loftwings = Awesome!**

**Anyway, I have some exciting news. I have a great idea for a new story, but I will not post it until I finish another one I am already working on! That I promise you! If you'd like to learn more about the story, PM me or get into contact with me through DeviantART or something, and I'll reply when I can.**

**Please, rate and review.**

**Translations: **Quay oi, Sessa. Quay oi (Calm now, Sessa. Calm now.)

Akoon nos trasa! (Now you die!)

Nam alt troph?! Ha! (How's that, wench?! Ha!)


	4. Chapter 4

**It's been a while, but it's finally time for another chapter. Sorry for the long wait, but my computer was broke for a while and then I just didn't have any inspiration. So let's get started before I lose the little bit I have.**

**I do not own Zelda.**

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><p>The cold rag on my forehead felt really nice. It felt like paradise against my hot, sweaty skin. It was doing nothing to break my poison induced fever, however. That stupid poison tipped spear that rider was wielding like a mad-man caused me to go temporarily blind and made me sick. I spent nearly thirty minutes spewing out my insides.<p>

Leilani came into my sight, it having returned, with a fresh rag and a bowl of water. "Hi, Willow. How are you feeling?" She exchanged the old cloth for the new one soaked in fresh water.

"About the same since the last time you asked me five minutes ago," I answered in a huff.

She sighed. "I'm sorry, it's just that Thane has me running everywhere to make sure you are comfortable."

I grew confused. "Why does he care so much?" I questioned. The guy only met me about a day ago.

Leilani's face twisted into a look of contemplation, and briefly I wanted to tell her not to hurt herself, but that would be mean. "I think Thane has viewed your mate with a lot of respect even though he hasn't met him. I guess he wants to make sure your absolutely comfortable for when the pup is born."

I had forgotten that shifters referred to their young with animal terms. "Well that's very kind of him, but the baby… pup won't be coming for another, uh, four months."

The young shifter shook her head, her dirty-blonde hair flying everywhere. "I'm afraid not," she chuckled. "A regular wolf pregnancy is a little more than two moon cycles. Now take that time away from a normal human's pregnancy. That leaves you with a span of seven to eight moon cycles, give or take." Leilani looked pleased with herself as she explained.

_Moon cycle must mean month, _I figured. My eyes widened. _A regular human pregnancy takes nine months, ten if you count the time of the pregnancy where it wasn't detectable. I'm in about half way through with my fifth month. If what Leilani says is true, then I could be giving birth in as little as two months! _I looked down at my bulging belly. That explained why it was already so big. Unless I was having twins, but that was very unlikely at this point.

I slapped my forehead. "Great," I muttered. That's when it dawned on me. What if Link wasn't here when the baby was born? What would I do? Was I even going to see Link again!? My eyes started to water and I started crying as I struggled to sit up.

"Willow! What's wrong!? Hang on, I'll go get Thane!" she exclaimed before vanishing.

Sobs racked my body as I realized the miserable truth. No matter what I did, my tears wouldn't stop. Why did I have to be so fricken emotional and hormonal!?

I felt myself being sat up. "Willow, what's the matter?" Thane asked me gently as he positioned himself in front of me, coming from seemingly nowhere. He grasped my shoulders firmly, yet gently as he stroked them with his thumbs.

I suddenly threw myself into his arms, sobbing into his bare chest. "I'm… I'm s-sorry," I cried. "I… I c-can't stop the t-tears!"

I could feel Thane stiffen under my touch. He was clearly uncomfortable and unsure what to do. "Uh, it… it's okay. But you need to calm down. All this stress, uh, can't be good for the pup. Calm down, Willow." He rubbed his hand hesitantly over my back in a calming manor. Once I had calmed down, he lay be back down on the mat I rested on. "I'll, uh, go get the healer," he said.

"Okay."

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><p>I was fine, the baby was fine, everything was fine. The healer did her voodoo magic on me and assured me that everything was hunky-dory. Of course, she didn't use that term. She kept spouting out that weird language, so I wouldn't understand her even though I was aware of the fact that she knew Hylian. What a bitter old hag!<p>

Thane was sitting in the corner of the hut, his eyes closed, propped up against a wall. His trusty spear was resting against his shoulder. I gazed at him and briefly wished that it was Link leaning against that wall and not Thane. I missed him so much.

I rolled over and sat up wobbily. "Thane?"

He opened his eyes and turned to look at me. "Hn," he replied.

"Will… will you teach me the shifter language?" I asked.

The fisher cat shifter made a humming sound as he thought about it. "I suppose it would be better in the long run if you were to learn our language. All right, I'll _attempt _to teach you. No promises that you'll be successful. Understand?"

I nodded my head affirmation, excited to learn. Not only would I be able to understand these people better, but I would also have something to do to keep my mind off my situation.

"Well, the language lesson can wait. I'm going to take Willow to the hot spring," a voice said from the doorway. It was Leilani. She came to my side and placed her hands under my arms and helped me stand. "I'll have back before sundown."

I followed the fox out of the hut and out of the village towards a group of densely packed trees. "This is the hot spring," she said, leading the way.

A large pond surrounded by smooth rocks lay nestled in the trees, steam rising from its watery surface. Many girls from the shifter village were bathing in the soothing waters. I, myself, couldn't wait to soak in the spring.

"We have specific times for when we all come out. The males get to use the hot spring from sunrise to midday and the females get to use it from midday to midnight," Leilani explained. She suddenly smiled at me, her sharp canines glinting lightly. "Come on!" She took me to a cluster of rocks and started to undress. "You can put your clothes here. Do you need help undressing?" she asked, pausing with her makeshift shirt over her head.

Blushing, I nodded slightly. "Y-Yeah," I stuttered. "I can't lift the material past my belly."

Leilani chuckled. "That's alright. It happens. In fact," she looked around, "I believe Mala is currently pregnant. You could ask her some questions about raising shifter children. She speaks Hylian as well." Leilani finally managed to pull my mangled nightgown over my head. It was a pitiful excuse for clothes. I would need some new ones.

Distributing the nightgown on a rock, I quickly walked to the hot spring and sank into the steamy waters. It felt nice to be able to just sit and relax. And the spring was doing wonders for my sore muscles. I let my gaze wander until my eyes spotted the shifter woman Leilani had been talking about. Mala.

I took a deep breath in and slowly swam to the woman. "Excuse me, Mala," I began. She looked at me, acknowledging my presence. "I was, uh, wondering if you could tell me anything about raising shifter children?"

Mala smiled and brushed away some of her red hair away from her forehead. "Of course!" she said happily. "This is my third after all."

"Your third?"

She nodded. "Yup, and it proves that shifter children are worth it in the end since I went and got pregnant again."

I laughed and listened intently at the information being given to me. Apparently, if you cooed at the child like its animal counterpart, it will calm down. It was like instinct. I also learned that while shifter children could show abnormal traits like claws or fangs or the occasional ear or tail, it wouldn't be until puberty until the shifter could fully transform.

Man, Link was a late bloomer.

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><p>The night was quiet. The village had settled down from the attack, it seemed. The only thing up and about was me. I just couldn't sleep. Too much was going through my mind.<p>

I lay outside on the grass, staring up at the stars. Was Link doing the same? I raised my right hand up to the sky and observed the Triforce on the back of my hand. The center of the Triforce was slightly lighter than my normal skin tone, almost as it was glowing. I imagine the Fierce Deity was getting restless, having not been used for a while. I was feeling the effects as well. It was like something was pent up inside and building pressure.

With a sigh, I rolled over and stood up before entering the hut. I rubbed my back, trying to relieve some of the pregnancy aches. I was about to return to my bedroll when a voice surprised me. "I was wondering when you'd come back in."

I spun around in a battle stance, alarmed. My eyes widened. "Thane!" I exclaimed. "What are you doing up?"

He sighed, brushing beaded hair away. "I decided to wait up on you. I need to discuss something with you." I visibly gulped. What did Thane want? He continued. "Aside from teaching you our language, I have decided to provide you with a sort of help. In the next few months I, uh, imagine it will be hard for you to move around. So to help out, I'm going to bring you to one of our most sacred places, and there you may receive a bird if one so permits."

My jaw dropped. "Wait! You mean… I'm getting a Loftwing?!"

"Maybe," he nodded. "That depends if you have the will and a bird permits you to ride it. We can never truly know if you'll get one or not. Our Loftwings are like a part of us. We are not whole without them."

I nodded in understanding. It was just like Skyward Sword was playing out in front of me. That reminded me of something. I wondered what Thane would think if I told him I wasn't from this world. I made a strange face, thinking I was better off not telling him.

Thane looked at me. "What's that face for?" he asked.

"Huh?! Oh, uh, nothing! Don't mind me!" I said, shaking my head. I suddenly decided to apply some of what I learned to the situation. I thought for a moment before speaking. "Tianku so moe quinta," I spoke.

Thane smiled. "Solo tiallmo." He crawled over to his bedroll and began to climb in.

I decided to continue… regrettably. "Caymo onano trey mayso." Then I smiled like an idiot.

Thane stopped, confused, holding his blanket over his head. He put his arm down and raised an eyebrow at me. "You do realize you just said, 'Good boys eat pants,' right?"

I slapped my forehead, hard. Pulling my hand down my face, I laid down in my bedroll. "I was trying to say good night, sweet dreams."

With a chuckle, Thane laid down. "We'll work on that.

"_Good night, _Thane!"

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><p>I stared up at the mountain in front of me. It was huge! Not as big as the one at the center of the island, but still. How was I ever going to climb that?!<p>

I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll make it," Thane said, confident.

"Easy for you to say! You've obviously already done this!" I argued. The movie _Avatar _suddenly came to mind. I looked skeptically at Thane. "The bird that chooses me isn't going to try to kill me, is it?" I asked.

Thane looked appalled. "Why on earth would a bird that brings life try to kill you?" he questioned.

I shook my head. "Just wondering." On the bright side of all this, if I wasn't meant to get a Loftwing, it wouldn't be that big of deal since I could technically fly… just not right now. I popped my neck. "All right," I said, taking my first step. "Let's do this!"

And so my trial began.

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><p><strong>And that's the end of that chapter. By the way, I do not own Avatar. Now, time for some translation and pronunciation.<strong>

**Tianku so moe quinta (Tee-ahn-coo so moe kee-in-tah) – Thank you for this.**

**Solo tiallmo (So-low tee-all-moe) – You're Welcome.**

**Caymo onano trey mayso (Kay-moe on-ahn-no tr-aye may-so) – Good boys eat pants. / Easy to mistake "Good night, sweet dreams" with/**

**Now time for something all of you care for. The first contest of this story! Yay! **

**The winner of this story will get to design Willow's Loftwing! *Gasp* I do ask that you try to keep it the same structure and shape as Link's and Zelda's birds, but the colors are all yours, but try to make them unique and what you consider would be rare for a Loftwing, yes?**

**Now for the challenge. There were multiple designs that went into creating the Loftwings. Link's and Zelda's birds had a little something added to them compared to everyone else's Loftwings. So I have two requests: WHAT WERE THE TWO MAIN DESIGNS THAT INSPIRED THE LOFTWINGS AND GIVE AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF A LOFTWING'S MAKEUP.**

**Whoever can tell me the two animals the Loftwings were based off of and can give me the best description can win. Now remember, one of the animals only played a part in the design of Link's and Zelda's birds.**

**Any means can be used to find the answer. There are no boundaries. Good luck! This contest ends on: January 4****th****.**

**Rate and review!**


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